### Summary
📉 Americans could run out of savings as early as this quarter, according to a Fed study. Excess savings are likely to be depleted during the third quarter of 2023.
### Facts
- 💸 As of June, US households held less than $190 billion of aggregate excess savings.
- 💰 Excess savings refer to the difference between actual savings and the pre-recession trend.
- 🔎 San Francisco Fed researchers Hamza Abdelrahman and Luiz Oliveira estimate that these excess savings will be exhausted by the end of the third quarter of 2023.
- 💳 Americans are using their credit cards more, accumulating nearly $1 trillion of debt.
- 📉 The downbeat forecast raises concerns about the US economy as consumer spending is crucial for growth.
### Summary
Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel believes that increased productivity will prevent a resurgence in inflation in the US.
### Facts
- 💰 Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel is not worried about inflation rebounding in the US, despite the signs of a resilient economy.
- 💼 GDP is expected to grow 5.8% over the third quarter, according to an estimate from the Atlanta Fed.
- 💼 Job growth and wage growth remain strong, with the US adding 187,000 payrolls and hourly earnings up 4.4% year over year in July.
- 💼 The recent improvement in statistics is attributed to a turnaround in productivity, which was poor last year.
- 💼 Siegel believes that the bounce-back in productivity will keep inflation in check and justify higher wages.
- 💼 However, other experts, like BlackRock, are more skeptical about the path of inflation.
- 💼 The Fed remains concerned about inflation and is open to more tightening measures.
- 💼 Stocks have slid as investors bet on the Fed hiking rates before the end of the year.
Goldman Sachs analysts predict that the U.S. government is "more likely than not" to shut down later this year due to spending disagreements, which could temporarily impact economic growth by reducing it by 0.15-0.2 percentage points per week, with past shutdowns having minimal impact on equity markets.
Germany's economy stagnated in the second quarter of 2023, but it has officially emerged from the recession; however, the Bundesbank predicts that the economy will continue to stagnate in the third quarter and the IMF forecasts that Germany will be the only major advanced economy to shrink this year.
The US economy is expected to slow in the coming months due to the Federal Reserve's efforts to combat inflation, which could lead to softer consumer spending and a decrease in stock market returns. Additionally, the resumption of student loan payments in October and the American consumer's credit card addiction pose further uncertainties for the economy. Meanwhile, Germany's economy is facing a contraction and a prolonged recession, which is a stark contrast to its past economic outperformance.
Concerns of a stock market crash are growing as economists await the release of the second-quarter GDP report, which could provide insight into the impact of the Federal Reserve's rate-hike campaign and future monetary policy changes. The report may have a significant effect on equity markets, which have been sensitive to economic data releases this year.
Goldman Sachs estimates that about 300 million full-time jobs worldwide could be lost or diminished due to the rise of artificial intelligence, while traders are betting on AI stocks, with companies like Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft seeing significant growth; concerns arise about the potential replacement of jobs with advanced technology, and the rising labor costs for businesses could lead to increased automation and higher profit margins. Additionally, US financial regulators have signed off on new rules that would require banks with at least $100 billion in assets to issue long-term debt in order to absorb losses, which could impact banks' profitability and shareholder returns, and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has told employees that they must return to the office or find employment elsewhere.
Goldman Sachs has lowered its probability of a U.S recession in the next 12 months to 15% due to positive inflation and labor market data, while also predicting a reacceleration in real disposable income and expecting the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged.
Deutsche Bank strategists warn that the U.S. economy has a greater chance of entering a recession within the next year due to high inflation and the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hike campaign.
The US economy is facing a looming recession, with weakness in certain sectors, but investors should not expect a significant number of interest-rate cuts next year, according to Liz Ann Sonders, the chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. She points out that leading indicators have severely deteriorated, indicating trouble ahead, and predicts a full-blown recession as the most likely outcome. Despite this, the stock market has been defying rate increases and performing well.
Goldman Sachs and J.P.Morgan have revised their full-year growth forecast for the UK's GDP due to a sharp contraction in the economy in July, with JPM now expecting 0.4% expansion and Goldman Sachs projecting 0.3% growth. Economists warn of the possibility of a recession as poor economic data continues to emerge, and GDP data indicates a weakening economy.
The labor markets are expected to pause on rate changes as the economy slows down, with growth in employment and capital expenditure decreasing and downside risks increasing, such as higher interest payments for the government and a potential United Auto Workers strike. However, there is hope for a rebound in 2024 with a potential pause in rate cuts and moderating inflation.
The Federal Reserve's restrictive monetary policy, along with declining consumer savings, tightening lending standards, and increasing loan delinquencies, indicate that the economy is transitioning toward a recession, with the effectiveness of monetary policy being felt with a lag time of 11-12 months. Additionally, the end of the student debt repayment moratorium and a potential government shutdown may further negatively impact the economy. Despite this, the Fed continues to push a "higher for longer" theme regarding interest rates, despite inflation already being defeated.
Potential risks including an autoworkers strike, a possible government shutdown, and the resumption of student loan repayments are posing challenges to the Federal Reserve's goal of controlling inflation without causing a recession. These disruptions could dampen consumer spending, lead to higher car prices, and negatively impact business and consumer confidence, potentially pushing the economy off course.
The resumption of student loan payments in October is expected to negatively impact American economic growth and could harm borrowers and the wider economy alike, with economists predicting a potential disruption to the growing economy and a reduction in consumer spending.
The Federal Reserve has paused raising interest rates and projects that the US will not experience a recession until at least 2027, citing improvement in the economy and a "very smooth landing," though there are still potential risks such as surging oil prices, an auto worker strike, and the threat of a government shutdown.
Despite threats such as a government shutdown, the UAW strike, rising gas prices, and the resumption of student loan repayments, economists are mostly unconcerned about a potential economic slowdown, believing the economy to be internally robust but vulnerable to mistakes.
The impending federal shutdown, combined with other economic challenges such as rising gas prices, student loan payments, and reduced pandemic savings, is expected to strain American households and potentially weaken economic growth in the last quarter of the year.
The US economy is currently in decent shape, with a resilient labor market, moderated inflation, and expected strong GDP growth, but there are potential headwinds and uncertainties ahead, including UAW strikes, student debt payments resuming, and the risk of a government shutdown, which could collectively have a significant impact on the economy. Additionally, the labor market is slowing down, inflation remains a concern, and the actions of the Federal Reserve and other factors could influence the economic outlook. While there are reasons for optimism, there are also risks to consider.
Wall Street stocks rebound as investors shake off concerns about the Federal Reserve's interest rate strategy, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones both posting gains, while the Nasdaq Composite also rises; investors are now looking ahead to the PCE inflation data and second quarter GDP reading for more insight into the Fed's rate path, as well as the potential impact of a government shutdown and debt woes at Chinese property developers. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs interns express optimism about the positive impact of AI on society, concerns arise that student loan repayments could hinder retail sales, President Biden announces plans to visit the United Auto Workers strike in Michigan, and Amazon invests up to $4 billion in AI startup Anthropic.
Investors are concerned about the possibility of a US interest rate hike and a government shutdown, which could impact the US credit rating and push the world's top economy into recession.
Goldman Sachs' chief economist predicts that the U.S. government is likely to face a two-to-three-week-long shutdown beginning on October 1 due to the failure to reach an agreement on annual budget legislation.
White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein warns that the US economy faces challenges from a possible government shutdown, student debt payments restarting, higher interest rates, and an autoworkers' strike. However, he believes that as long as there are no policy mistakes or external shocks, the economy will continue to perform well.
The resumption of student loan repayments will lead to a significant decrease in consumer spending, causing a contraction in real consumer spending growth and an increase in student loan delinquency rates, according to Fitch Ratings.
The US economy maintained solid growth in the second quarter, but a government shutdown and an ongoing auto workers strike are clouding the outlook for the rest of 2023.
Deutsche Bank's economists are still predicting a US recession despite the ongoing resilience of the economy, pointing to rapidly rising interest rates, surging inflation, an inverted yield curve, and oil price shocks as the four key triggers that historically have caused recessions and are currently happening.
The US may be at risk of a recession due to factors such as a potential auto strike, the resumption of student-loan repayments, rising oil prices, and a global economic slowdown.
The S&P 500 closed out the quarter with a 3.6% loss, attributed to factors such as rising interest rates, a slowing housing market, and businesses preparing for tough times, resulting in a slow decline in stocks. Additionally, the resumption of student loan payments and expectations of more rate hikes from the Federal Reserve are expected to impact consumer spending power and business cutbacks. However, as the year comes to an end, traders and investors may look forward to 2024 for possible rate cuts and a return of strength in the market.
Student loan repayments, which have resumed after a three-year pause, may not cause a recession in the US economy as the debt is concentrated among a small number of households, but it will likely impact consumer spending and potentially slow down economic growth.
Goldman Sachs has revised its forecast for mortgage rates, predicting that they will be higher than previously expected, with rates of 7.1% by the end of 2023 and 6.8% by the end of 2024, due to the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain benchmark interest rates and concerns about inflation, leading to a decrease in mortgage applications and homebuyers being priced out of the market.
Goldman Sachs economists warn that the recent surge in US Treasury yields will hamper economic growth and pose financial risks, though the bank does not predict a recession; they estimate a 0.5 percentage-point blow to US GDP over the next year.
Goldman Sachs warns that the Federal Reserve's prolonged tight monetary policy and higher interest rates will have a negative impact on the economy and markets, potentially leading to lower GDP growth, stock market pressure, and challenges for corporations.
Higher-for-longer interest rates are expected to hinder U.S. economic growth by 0.5%, potentially leading unprofitable public companies to cut their workforce, according to strategists at Goldman Sachs, who also noted that the Federal Reserve's current benchmark rate is insufficient to cause a recession. Additionally, the firm warned that the high rates could increase the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio to 123% over the next decade without a fiscal agreement in Washington.
The rise in large-business bankruptcies is a worrying sign for the economy, as it can lead to job losses, financial market disturbances, and reduced growth due to factors such as inflation, higher interest rates, waning government aid, and supply chain disruptions.